


Dear Nexvice

by Salixcatkin



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Advice in space, Gen, I read too many advice columns, Toasts have the best ideas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-17 02:47:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10584816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Salixcatkin/pseuds/Salixcatkin
Summary: What happens when you have a whole bunch of people in an unexplored galaxy? An advice column of course! This grew out of an off the cuff discussion and took on a life of its own...With many thanks and emojis to my breads. You know who you are and you are the best.





	1. Chapter 1

Dear Nexvice,  
I've been out of cryo for a few weeks now and I think I'm finally getting the hang of things. I don’t get lost on the way to operations every day and I even met someone I like! She’s a scientist, super smart, really pretty, and just really gets me. Unfortunately, she’s scheduled to leave for Prodromos soon and I'm headed to go mine ice on Voeld. Is it worth trying a long distance relationship? Should I keep my options open? I don’t want to mess this up, but I’ve heard comm link coverage isn’t great because of the auroras on Voeld.  
-Love on Ice

Dear Love,  
I’m glad you’re up and running after coming out of cryo. It’s a hard thing to adjust to and I’m proud of you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think an cross cluster relationship is going to work. Comms problems aside, you’ve only known this scientist for a few weeks! Keep in touch, but keep things casual. Plus, have you heard about the Angara? You’re going to want to meet a few before you settle down.

~~~~

Dear Nexvice,  
My birthday is coming up (I think, I spent a while calculating, looking at calendars and I'm just going to go with it), but I have a problem. I want to invite friends over and have a little chill party. The problem is that two of my friends took part in the hydroponics protest, another works for Kandros, and the rest refuse to even acknowledge that the mutiny and the exiles exist. Is there any way I can get all my friends in the same room and actually have a good time?  
-Caught in the Middle Again

Dear Caught,  
Happy birthday! Good wishes aside, some hard truths for you. These friends are never going to get along and they’ll ruin your party. Instead of spending your party playing diplomat (unless that’s really what gets you going), head to the Vortex and spend your birthday budget on buying a round of drinks for everyone there. Doesn’t matter if they’re Krogan, Turian, Salarian, or human, they’re bound to be better friends than your current batch!

_Note from Nexvice. Now that all arks have arrived, we’ll be rotating the species of advice giver from time to time. Hope this helps out all our Nexus residents!_

~~~~

Dear Nexvice,  
The two Salarians living next door to me have been keeping me awake at all hours. They say they’re scientists, but I don’t know why their research involves loud music late at night! I’m going to start hallucinating if I can’t get some sleep! What should I do? I’ve tried talking to them, but they just don’t listen to my complaints!  
-Sleep Deprived

-Dear Deprived,  
This doesn’t sound like a talking problem. Salarians are small and break easily. Next time they keep you awake, break a couple bones. Problem solved.

_Note from Nexvice: Director Tann has asked that we state that we do not condone violence of any kind against any resident of the Nexus._

~~~~

Dear Nexvice,  
I’m about ready to space my mother! She came out of cryo before I did and took it into her head that I’d need a partner as soon as I woke up! I’m pretty sure she talked about how great I was to every single person on the Nexus. It was sweet of her, but now everyone I talk to already knows about me, and usually has at least one embarrassing baby picture of me. I know she was trying to look out for me, but I feel like she’s taken so much control out of my hands. I’ve applied for transfer to any of the outposts just to get away from her. What else can I do?  
-Running Away

Dear Running,  
As a mother myself, I can understand why she thought she was taking care of you. I know I have been close to such actions myself, especially for some of my children who just can’t seem to notice when someone is interested in them! However, it’s also important for parents to let their children be independent, and this is where your mother went wrong. She can’t make these decisions for you. Before you go so far as leaving the Nexus and your mother behind, I have to ask: have you talked to her? I know you must be feeling frustrated, but talking with her and sharing your frustrations and hurt can be helpful. Please talk to her, ask her to let you make your own decisions in the future, and maybe seek out other newly awakened Nexus residents who haven’t heard all about you. And if all else fails, let me know. I have a couple of children who need to meet possible partners (they’re my favorite children)!


	2. More problems, more advice

Dear Nexvice,  
I feel bad even writing this, but I feel like I might have make a huge mistake coming to Andromeda. I got caught up in the hype and signed up almost on a whim after a bad relationship ended and I had decided I hated my job. I was ready for a change, and moving to a new galaxy seemed like a good way to change things. But then I woke up, there was the scourge, the missing arks, being 600 years away from my entire family, all that nonsense and I wondered what past me had been thinking! I know I can’t go back, but how can I move forward when I’m so sure that I made a mistake?  
-Hindsight is 20/20

Dear Hindsight,  
It might not help right away, but know that you’re not alone. I don’t think anyone who came to Andromeda was prepared for what we found. None of us were risk modelers, and even if we were, we probably would have gotten caught up in the excitement of the idea of the Iniative anyhow. So, be kind to yourself about the second thoughts, they’re normal and healthy. If you’re a list sort of person, make yourself a list of things that you like about Andromeda and the Nexus. It’s okay if it’s short to start out with. Focus on those good things and think about other good things you can add to the list in the future - new friends, new things to see, never having to deal with awkward family dinners ever again, etc.  
If all of this doesn’t help, don’t forget that there are people who are trained to talk you through this. Just set up an appointment any time. Don’t ever be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. Nexvice wishes you the very best in this new galaxy.

~~~~

Dear Nexvice,  
A question here from far away. I’m assigned to the med clinic in Prodromos and I’m hoping you can help me. A few weeks ago, the pathfinder showed up for a routine visit. While I’m forever thankful to them for making Eos livable and giving us a chance to actually get the colony up and going, they’re going to be the death of some of my workers! The pathfinder and their crew were jump jetting all over the settlement, barely using the stairs at all, and now a whole contingent of settlers here are sure that they can make their own jump jets. It’s a science outpost, so they have the engineering know-how, just not the training on landing and not breaking themselves. If these jump jets get made, they are going to be so many injuries in my clinic and the productivity of the settlement is going to go down. How can I talk them out of it?  
-Don’t Jump!

Dear Don’t,  
I think you might be worrying over something that won’t come to pass, but I can understand why are are fretting over it. I think your fellow outpost residents will be too busy keeping up with building a settlement to try too many wild jump jet tricks. However, we can’t afford to lose any more people from the Initiative, so we here at Nexvice have drawn up a few safety poster designs that you might find useful. If the rumblings of homemade jump jets get too loud, posting these should help.

_attached are several files with badly drawn, but graphic, pictures of humans, turians, and asari with broken limbs and cheery subtitles; including: “Don’t jump to your doom” and “Don’t do the Kett’s work for them”_

~~~~

Dear Nexvice,  
How does anyone from the Milky Way ever have a successful relationship!? You never talk about your feelings and spend entirely too much time moping around instead of actually telling the object of your affections how you feel!  
-Frustrated Angaran

Dear Frustrated,  
Several of us here were going to take deep offense at your statements and tried to defend the honor of the Milky Way, but our Angaran advice giver laughed so hard at our protests of good communication skills that we couldn’t. So Frustrated, I guess you’re right. We aren’t always the best at showing our feelings, but we’d like to think that once we manage to work past our shyness or our worry that we’ll be turned down or judged for liking someone, we’re worth having as friends, or as something deeper. And if there is someone specific that your frustration is directed towards, be honest with them, but also be kind. They’re probably trying as hard as they can to work up the courage to share their feelings with you.


End file.
